Department of Health and Social Care

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to shorten the period for which a care home restricts movements in and out of premises after it experiences a COVID-19 outbreak.

Lord Kamall: Restrictions of movement in and out of care home premises during a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak are informed by evidence from rounds of testing, including ‘recovery testing’. This usually takes place after there have been no new cases for 14 days or one maximum incubation period. For variants of concern (VOC), this period is extended to 28 days or two maximum incubation periods. This advice is kept under continuous review as the evidence emerges.Omicron was originally identified as a ‘high priority’ VOC which led to restrictions on movement up to 28 days. However, following a review, the UK Health Security Agency advised on 7 January 2021 that the Omicron variant could be managed according to standard protocol for outbreaks, resulting in a reduction in the advised period of restriction to 14 days since the last test positive case.

Alcoholism: Coronavirus

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of alcoholism during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking as a result of any findings made.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made. However, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities found that there was a rise in consumption of alcohol for increasing and higher risk drinkers (individuals that consume more than 14 units a week) during periods of lockdown, compared to when no restrictions were in place. The Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2020 to 2021: report showed a 2.8% increase in those in treatment for alcohol only compared to 2019/20. A copy of the report is attached.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing in a programme to establish specialist alcohol care teams in hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol-dependence-related admissions. In late 2021, a second wave of hospital sites across England were selected to receive funding. We are also spending £533 million over three years in local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England.Adult substance misuse treatment statistics (pdf, 1601.4KB)

NHS: Translation Services

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost of providing translations of NHS communications, particularly on COVID-19; and what assessment they have made of the impact of providing such translations.

Lord Kamall: The information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Health and Care Bill to enable the entrenchment of antimicrobial stewardship in the NHS.

Lord Kamall: There are currently no plans to do so. Antimicrobial stewardship practices, including NHS England’s national programme to combat antibiotic over-usage launched in March 2016, are well entrenched in the National Health Service. This is supported by guidance from the Department, the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

Prisoners: Death

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals sentenced to Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) since 2005 died whilst serving their sentence in a secure hospital; and what were the causes of death in each case.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not collected.

Treasury

Cost of Living: Scotland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comparative cost of living between Scotland and England.

Baroness Penn: The Government recognises that the pressure households are facing on their finances is being felt across the whole of the UK. The government is providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living. Much of the support in place that will help ease these pressures is UK-wide, for example the increase to the National Living Wage, the change to the Universal Credit taper rate and increase to the Work Allowance, as well as freezes to alcohol duty and fuel duty. Many powers relevant to addressing the increases in the cost of living are devolved; the devolved administrations receive funding and have revenue raising powers and make their own spending decisions.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sports Competitors: Freedom of Expression

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the risk to British athletes exercising their freedom of speech while attending the Winter Olympics in China, following reported comments from a Chinese official about "punishment" for those who act or speak "against the Olympic spirit"; and what steps they are taking, if any, to protect British athletes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have provided specific advice to the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, including in respect of security, Chinese law and society, to ensure Team GB and Paralympics GB are as well prepared as possible for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. We wish our athletes every success and they will continue to have our full support throughout the games. Officials in Beijing stand ready to provide consular assistance if needed.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans (1) unilaterally, or (2) in conjunction with the government of Azerbaijan, to commemorate or mark on 26 February the 30th anniversary of the killings in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly; and whether they have (a) held bilateral discussions, or (b) supported action, to ensure that such hostilities to do not take place again and that there is no escalation of violence in Azerbaijan, in the light of emerging issues in Armenia and Russia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The events of February 1992 were a tragic episode in Azerbaijan's history, and were strongly condemned by the UK Government at the time. Such hostilities should never take place again. The UK Government has not yet made plans to mark this anniversary of the date.The UK Government remains deeply committed to stability and security across the South Caucasus region and continues to work through bilateral channels and multilateral fora in pursuit of those goals. This includes our continuing support for the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group Co-Chairs to facilitate discussions to secure a sustainable, peaceful resolution to ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Republika Srpska: Sanctions

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the application of sanctions to political leaders in Republika Srpska by the government of the United Stations of America; and what plans they have, if any, to apply similar sanctions.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other states about the application of sanctionsof political leaders in Republika Srpska, in light of the political unrest occurring there.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the announcement by the US of the imposition of a number of restrictive measures on individuals and an entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Sanctions are an important part of the UK toolkit for the Western Balkans, in response to corruption and destabilising activities. We are actively discussing this issue with partners, including the US. However, it would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions targets as to do so could reduce their impact.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with donating safe vaccines to help with the international efforts to vaccinate the world, in line with the Communique of the G7 Summit in Cornwall.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Our G7 Presidency in 2021 secured agreement from leaders to commit to sharing at least 870 million doses by June 2022. The G7 has gone further since June, and donated 770 million doses by the end of 2021 and committed to donate an additional 1.2 billion doses.We have met the UK goal of donating 30 million doses by the end of 2021, as part of our G7 pledge to donate 100 million doses by June 2022. To date, the UK has delivered 23.3 million doses to countries in need of which 17.8 million have been delivered via COVAX and 5.5m doses donated directly. A further 7.5 million doses have been received by COVAX and will shortly be allocated and shipped in line with COVAX's fair allocation model. The Prime Minister said at the G20 in October 2021 that we will donate 20 million further Astra Zeneca doses and 20 million Janssen doses to COVAX and we remain committed to meeting our 100 million pledge in full by June 2022.

EU Countries: Visas

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 18 January (HL Deb, col 1553) that "issues around friction-free visa travel within the European Union and changes to border requirements are high on the agenda", whether this will include discussion of a visa-waiver agreement for the performing arts between the UK and the EU at the next meeting of the EU–UK Partnership Council.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We raised the issue of touring artists at the first Partnership Council meeting on 9 June and at the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade on 11 October. The agenda for the next meeting of the Partnership Council will be agreed with our EU counterparts in due course. We will ensure that priority issues for the UK are discussed at the meeting and our interests protected.21 out of 27 EU Member States, including France, Spain, Germany and Italy, have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for some short-term touring. It is important that we recognise that these routes do exist, to ensure our creative professionals are not discouraged and can resume touring with confidence.We are continuing to work with the remaining 6 Member States that do not allow any visa or permit free touring to encourage them to adopt a more flexible approach. We do enable visa-free visits from EU citizens, but we wish to retain control of how we apply the policy.

Land Mines: Bomb Disposal

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of UK aid funding for mine action.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is one of the leading supporters of mine action across the world. Our current Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP2, running from 2018-2022) has helped to raise standards across the global demining sector through its effective and innovative approach. Under GMAP2, the UK has cleared and confirmed safe 435.2 million square metres of land, the equivalent of over 60,952 football pitches, and has delivered risk education messages to over 3.7 million people in communities affected by mines. GMAP2 has as a consequence contributed to broader HMG development goals such as stabilisation, education, jobs and food security in poor and fragile countries across the world.The FCDO is currently working on the design of a new Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP3), which will replace GMAP2 during 2022. We are committed to continually improving the effectiveness of our aid funding for mine action, and are drawing on lessons learned from GMAP2.

Angola: Land Mines

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support Angola to become landmine free under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is a leading donor in supporting Angola's commitment to be landmine free by 2025. The UK's current Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP2, 2018-22) has, as of September 2021, cleared and confirmed safe over 27 million square metres of land in Angola (the equivalent of 3,784 football pitches) and provided 95,004 people with risk education.The Global Mine Action Programme 3 (GMAP3) is due to replace GMAP2 during 2022. It will involve landmine clearance and risk education to help keep affected communities safe, and build capacity development for national authorities to help them manage landmine contamination. We are in the process of finalising individual country allocations, and will make a statement as soon as this is complete.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animals: Electric Shock Equipment

Lord Trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the welfare implications of ther baiting of electrified fences used to keep animals in or out of defined areas.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In England, wildlife is protected by law through legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits certain methods of killing or taking wild animals. Under subsection 2(c), a person will be guilty of an offence if they set in position any electrical device for killing or stunning, calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal included in Schedule 6 of that Act, such as badgers and hedgehogs. It is also an offence under regulation 45 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 to use electrical and electronic devices capable of killing or stunning, for the purpose of capturing or killing a European protected species, or for any of the protected species listed on Schedule 4 of those Regulations. The Government has not made a specific assessment of the welfare implications of the baiting of electrified fences.

Peat: Imports

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal by The Wildlife Trusts on 18 December 2021 to ban peat imports; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce measures to prevent offshoring of peatland damage to countries with less stringent legislation.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are currently consulting on measures to end the use of peat in horticulture in England and Wales. This includes a ban on the retail sale of peat, which would see domestic peat and imports of peat treated alike. In 2020, bagged growing media containing peat in the retail sector accounted for almost 70% of peat sold in the UK. Our focus on ending the use of peat in horticulture in England and Wales not only protects UK peat bogs but recognises that two thirds of peat sold in the UK is imported from the rest of Europe. We welcome views from our stakeholders and encourage them to respond to the consultation, which is open for responses until 18 March 2022. Please follow the link to the consultation:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ending-the-retail-sale-of-peat-in-horticulture-in-england-and-wales.

Neonicotinoids

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of theneonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam able to be readily purchased online; and what plans do they have, if any, to ban its import from China.

Lord Benyon: Thiamethoxam is listed under the Prior Informed Consent Regulation (PIC) which regulates the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals, for which the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has policy responsibility. Every year, GB companies need to submit to HSE details of the quantities of PIC-listed chemicals they have exported and imported in the previous calendar year. For imports, this includes the country of origin of the chemical. Thiamethoxam is approved for use as an insecticide under the Biocidal Products Regulations in the UK. Thiamethoxam is not permitted for use as an agricultural pesticide. However, Defra have granted an emergency authorisation for the limited and controlled use of thiamethoxam in a neonicotinoid seed treatment on the 2022 sugar beet crop. Emergency Authorisations for pesticides are only granted where strict legal requirements are met, including a danger such as diseases or pests that cannot be controlled by other reasonable means.As such, there are no plans to ban the import of thiamethoxam.The HSE has not made an assessment of the thiamethoxam available for purchase online. However, Defra is aware of the risk of online purchasing of pesticides and plans to review policy in this area as part of National Action Plan for Sustainable use of Pesticides, due for publication later this year.

Public Footpaths: Rights of Way

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 27 July 2021 (HL1956), what progress has been made by officials in reviewing the deferral of the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way.

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will set a date for the commencement of the provisions of the Deregulation Act 2015 which relate to public rights of way.

Lord Benyon: As set out in my answer of 27 July 2021 the Government intends to lay legislation as soon as reasonably practicable including the relevant provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Deferring the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way is still under consideration.

Pest Control

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make illegal the baiting of electric fences with honey and other substances designed to attract wildlife.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In England, wildlife is protected by law through legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits certain methods of killing or taking wild animals. Under subsection 2(c), a person will be guilty of an offence if they set in position any electrical device for killing or stunning, calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal included in Schedule 6 of that Act, such as badgers and hedgehogs. It is also an offence under regulation 45 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 to use electrical and electronic devices capable of killing or stunning, for the purpose of capturing or killing a European protected species, or for any of the protected species listed on Schedule 4 of those Regulations.The Government has no current plans to introduce further legislation to prohibit conduct involving the 'baiting' of electric fences with honey and other substances designed to attract wildlife.

Home Office

Subversion: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford  on 19 January (HL Deb, col 1653) what plans they have to undertake an inquiry into the wider implications of this case for the conduct of parliamentary business and the protection of the integrity of the legislative system.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As noted in the statement made by the Home Secretary to the House on 17 January and my comments on the 19 January, it is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. We have no plans for an inquiry on this specific case, however we have structures in place to identify threats to democracy and, where necessary, take proportionate action to mitigate them. As you would expect, we keep these structures under review to ensure they remain responsive to changing threats.

Northern Ireland Office

Coronavirus: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to help support Northern Ireland's recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lord Caine: This Government has taken unprecedented action to support individuals and businesses in Northern Ireland. That is why we committed in the 2021 Spending Review to provide, on average, £15 billion per year to the Northern Ireland Executive, marking the largest funding settlement for Northern Ireland since devolution in 1998/9. In addition to this, the UK Government has also provided the Northern Ireland Executive with over £5 billion during the pandemic to support the Executive’s response. This has helped to protect over 350,000 jobs in Northern Ireland through the furlough and self-employed income support schemes. We will continue to work closely with the Executive to strengthen the Northern Ireland economy, laying the foundations for economic growth to ensure continued recovery from the pandemic. The scale of the UK Government's support to Northern Ireland throughout the pandemic provides yet more evidence of the great strength and security that Northern Ireland gains as part of the world's fifth largest economy.

Department for International Trade

Small Businesses: Trade Agreements

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises can benefit from Free Trade Agreements.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital to increasing UK trade. That is why we are seeking SME chapters and SME-friendly provisions throughout all our Free Trade Agreements. These chapters and provisions signpost SMEs towards the information they need to make informed decisions and take advantage of new opportunities. In addition, the refreshed Export Strategy focuses on barriers faced by UK businesses, particularly SMEs. We will support exporters at every stage of their journey, through the Export Support Service, the UK Export Academy, UK Export Finance, and our International Trade Advisers and global networks.

Small Businesses: Exports

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises they have provided support with exports to, in each of the last three months.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The Department is not able to provide reliably the management information data requested across all of the services provided. However, published research from the Export Client Quality Survey reported over 19,000 unique businesses supported by the services covered by the survey between April 2018 and March 2019. More recently, on 1 October, DIT launched the Export Support Service where UK businesses can get answers to practical questions about exporting to Europe by accessing cross government in-formation and support all in one place. 95% of enquiries into the Export Support Service (ESS) have been from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Based on this we estimate that ESS provided support to 1,000 SMEs in October 2021, 1,280 in November 2021 and 970 in December 2021.